Friday, December 29, 2017

2017 Wrap-Up: The Life, the Geekery, the Bookishness



So apparently 2017 is almost done with us and I’d like to know who gave it permission to be nearly finished??????
WHERE DO I FILE A COMPLAINT? Because wow yeah. This year zoomed by at record breaking speeds and has left me sitting here in a daze wondering what just happened like the Hare in the Tortoise and the Hare story. (I don’t know either. Just go with it.)


Last year wasn’t my favorite. I wasn’t in the best place mentally, there were a lot of lows, and some tragic things happened. But 2017, 2017 was much, much better. I liked this year quite a lot.


THUS. I thought it’d be fun to do a little yearly wrap-up post to look back at the highlights of 2017. (Except “little” is so inaccurate because when do I ever do small posts???) I’m going to categorize this in sections because I love categorizing things almost as much as I love making lists.


SO LET’S DO IT.


. . .

A LOOK  BACK AT 2017

. . .

 

LIFE-Y THINGS


This year was a whirlwind of changes.


A few things that went down includes:

 

  • My little sister graduated high school. BRB SOBBING. She’s the youngest in the family, so for the first time in 24 years none of us are homeschooling AND IT’S WEIRD. But I’m so proud of my sis!

  • One of my best friends graduated from college. SO PROUD OF HER TOO.

  • I got to stay with that same friend for a few days three different times this year and it was fabulous.

  • My other bestie and her family moved…11 hours away. Definitely not a highlight, but at the same time I’m excited for them and all the new and exciting turns their life has taken.

  • Turned 25 years old and just WUT??? When did I become an adult? Because, in my head, 24 is still “young adult”. But 25 is just…adult. Is that just me? I DON’T EVEN KNOW. I know I act like suuuuch and adult though, amiright? (You guys probably thought I was 14, didn’t you? #ForeverPeterPan)

  • Got to go see a live ballet showing of The Nutcracker for the first time in yeeeeears and absolutely loved it!

 

There are many, many, many more things that happened this year. Changes and joys and hardships and growth. But all-in-all it was a fantastic, if not crazy, year.


 

WRITERLY THINGS


This was my quietest year of writing since…2009. Not even kidding. Usually I do at least two major writing projects a year, with maybe some smaller things in between. This year I didn’t really do anything until NaNoWriMo.


If you’ll remember, in January I had BIG WRITING PLANS for this year. So many goals of editing Burning Thorns and researching literary agents and working on query letters and all that fun stuff? Did I do any of that?


Erm. No.


But you know what? I’M OKAY WITH THAT. This wasn’t the year for those things, I know that now. There were too many things going on in life. But not just that, I think I needed to reevaluate myself. I was feeling stressed and overwhelmed and questioning everything, especially my writing, at the beginning of this year. But after taking almost a whole year off from doing any major writing and really focusing on learning to balance my time and taking a breath, I’m at a much better place. And I know, without a doubt, that writing is absolutely what I want to do with my life. So though not much actual writing happened this year, there was a lot of necessary growth and revelations within my own self. And it was good. Very good. I don’t regret one bit taking a writing hiatus.


BUT. I can’t entirely take off from writing. There were still writerly 2017 happenings.

 

  • I wrote a 4,500-word, fairytale-esque short story When Spring Blooms, which was a ton of fun! It’s very rare I write short stories (because apparently “short” things aren’t part of my vocabulary?), but I always enjoy it when I do.

  • I purchased Scrivener and fell. in. love. The levels of organization it allows makes my perfectionist self ridiculously happy. WHY DID I NOT TRY THIS PROGRAM BEFORE??? It is the bessst.

  • Made an entire file of Scrivener for Burning Thorns with all sorts of sections and folders and goodness. So it is ready to be edited on, even if I haven’t done the actual editing yet…

  • Made a map for the Burning Thorns world. Because I literally didn’t even have a name for the continent the world was set in. So that was fun!

  • Fully plotted out The Nether Isle. Which felt great. It was the first time I really got back into writing related things in moooonths. I felt like myself again!

  • WROTE The Nether Isle! (Which you all know about since I haven’t stopped talking about it for like 3 months now… *cough*)

 

So it wasn’t an extremely productive year, but it wasn’t a fully idle one either. And I did some things to set me all up for my 2018 writing plans. Overall, I’m feeling good about everything. I wrote a short story, set up everything for Burning Thorns edits, wrote an 117k-word book, and got past some mental blocks. Even if it was my slowest year of writing in a long time, I’m happy with what I accomplished and look forward to diving into more writing ventures come the new year!


 

BLOGGY THINGS


I think I made strides with blogging this year. Though I did take a few hiatuses, breaking my 4-year streak of posting every single week. But, well, it was probably time to allow myself a few little blogging breaks after consistently posting for 4 years, right???


Other than those hiatuses, I really poured myself into the blog. This year I wrote some deeper posts than I usually do, tried to give you guys the best quality content I could, and got better at having nice graphics at the top of each post. I gained quite a lot of new followers this year (hi, guys! I love you all!), so I think it all paid off.


Some favorite posts of mine I did this year are:


 

 

 

 

 

WATCHED THINGS


You guys should know I’m a total movie and TV show nerd, and this year introduced me to quite a few fabulous ones!


Movies saw in theaters:


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Which I…wasn’t wild about and it makes me weep. I HAD SUCH HIGH EXPECTATIONS. B&B is my favorite fairytale! The Disney classic animated movie is my childhood! All the previous live action remakes (Cinderella, Maleficent, etc.) were beyond perfect! I was just positive this one would be spectacular. But…no. It wasn’t a bad movie. It just didn’t capture that B&B magic for me. Emma Watson just wasn’t working as my dear Belle. *ducks from rotten tomatoes* I DON’T KNOW. I didn’t hate it, but it was just kinda…meh. *sobs forever*


GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2

OKAY BUT DIS MOVIE. I loved it nearly just as much as the 1st one, which is saying something because the 1st one is one of my favorite Marvel movies. BUT THIS WAS SO FUNNY AND EPIC AND EMOTIONAL AND SJDFJKHSKDJHFKLDSF. Probably my favorite movie of 2017!


SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

This movie rekindled my love for my Spidey baby! See, when I was young, Spider-Man was my FAVORITE superhero. As the years rolled on Iron Man and Captain America took my heart. But seeing this one reminded me of how much I adore Spider-Man. He’s literally a kid trying to protect a whole city and just HE IS PRECIOUS. And Tom Holland is absolutely my favorite Spider-Man thus far. I do feel like the pacing of this movie was a tinge slow sometimes? Maybe too much setup? I don’t know. But I still loved it!


THOR: RAGNAROK

I think I’ve already flailed about this movie 2 or 3 times now but…I LOVED IT. I wish there could have been more emotion and not just comedy, but it was still fantastic!


I…think that’s all I saw in theaters? And all of those are Disney and 3 out of 4 are Marvel. I seem to have a problem??? But come on, MARVEL!


There were others I wanted to see but didn’t get a chance. And still haven’t! Like The LEGO Batman Movie and Wonder Woman. But hopefully I can get to those sometime soon.


I also discovered some TV shows this year. Of which I now wonder whyyyy I had never watched before.


GRAVITY FALLS


Why why why WHY have I gone this long without watching the magic that is Gravity Falls? WHY??? This show looks like some goofy kiddy cartoon but DON’T BE DECEIVED. I mean, yes, it’s a goofy kiddie cartoon but it’s also DEEP and HILARIOUS and has an epic PLOT and the CHARACTERSSSS. I will now have Gravity Falls feels for the rest of my life. *collapses* JUST WATCH THIS SHOW. Basically every. single. line. in it is quotable and hilarious and the characters are golden and just GO WATCH IT. (Except you probably have because I feel like I’m the only person in the world who has never watched it until now???)

 

Mabel is a gift to this world.


STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL


Another totally hilarious cartoon! This one does start out as a pretty goofy, random cartoon but it gets much deeper as it goes on. And THE CHARACTERS. Star is from another dimension and has a magical wand that she uses to, well, defeat the forces of evil. But she makes spells like a narwhal blast. So yeah. She’s totally bubbly and reckless and fun. (She kind of reminds me of me, TBH.) Then there’s Marco. Sweet, precious, cinnamon roll Marco. The show is worth watching just for those two. And let’s not even talk about how shippable they are.




STRANGER THINGS

 (The first non-Disney thing in this whole section!)


Erm. Yeah. I’m reeeeally late on this bandwagon. My brother (and basically everyone else in the universe) has been badgering me to watch it since it came out in the Fall of LAST YEAR. Annnnd I didn’t start watching it until this August or September. I FAIL AT LIFE. But obviously I loved it. It’s not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach but…it’s pretty epic! (Except I still haven’t found time to watch the 2nd season and IT’S KILLING MEEE.)

 

There were probably many more things I can’t remember (I’m proud I even remembered all of this!), but these were definitely my screen watching highlights of the year.

 

BOOKISH THINGS


Obviously I saved the most important one for last. BOOKS!!!


I read a total of…30 books for 2017. Ummm, yeah. Sad, I know. I’m trying to come to terms with the fact that 30 is my average for a year these days. It’s not a bad amount, just not neeeearly as much as I want to read. I’d much rather devour 100 books in a year but I can’t seem to be one of those magical peoples.


ANYWAYS.


It was a bit of a mixed year of reading. The majority of the books I read were a little meh. Buuuut I did find some gems that absolutely made my year.


SAMARA’S PERIL
by Jaye L. Knight

Book #3 of the Ilyon Chronicles and possibly the best one yet! This was my first book to read this year and WAS IT A GOOD ONE. ALL THE FEELS. ALL THE THIIIINGS. Just go read this series! (I deeesperately need to get my hands on Exiles.)


ELLA ENCHANTED
by Gail Carson Levine

Okay but hoooooowwwww have I not read this book until this year??? I should have grown up with this book! I AM ALL THE SHAME. No earthly clue why it took me half an age to read it, but IT WAS SO GOOD.

 

THE SENTINEL TRILOGY
by Jamie Foley

(Except the 3rd book isn’t out yet BUT I NEED IT PRECIOUSSS.) This is suuuch a fun and different style of novels. People with special abilities in a world much like our own and it’s basically the apocalypse with epic characters and the best bromance and YES. Kudos to my bookfairy Deborah for getting me to read these books. I LOVE THEM.


THE RELUCTANT GODFATHER
by Allison Tebo

One of my faaavorite reads of the year! This Cinderella retelling novella was the cutest EVER. I actually reviewed it should you want my full thoughts on it. But basically…GO READ IT! This book was a delight. And it kindled a friendship between my girl Allison and me, which made it doubly awesome! Seriously, go give her a follow and read her story. SHE’S THE BEST.


GRAPHIC NOVELS

So I discovered something super weird this year. I kinda like graphic novels??? I’ve never actually read any before. I had no idea if I’d like them or not. But this past August I was staying with my bestie and she talked me into trying a few and I officially got hooked. Unfortunately, it’s reeeally hard to find clean ones. *pouts* But they’re great for some quick reads. My favorite one I’ve read so far is Nimona by Noelle Stevenson.


THE BEAUMONT AND BEASLEY SERIES
by Kyle Robert Shultz

Okay. This may win for top favorite of my 2017 bookish discoveries. THESE BOOKS GUYS. 1920s detective style story but in a world where fairytales are real? GIMME GIMME GIMME. These books are hilarious. But don’t let that fool you! They get deep and twisty as they go on. In fact, the 3rd book, The Stroke of Eleven, was my last read for the year and I’m still reeling. I MAY NEVER RECOVER. (I reviewed the 1st book if you’re interested.) These books are golden! Kyle is hilarious and you should absolutely go check out his website and READ HIS BOOKS!

 

So even though I read a bunch of meh books this year, these totally made up for them! And if you’re still a nosy bookdragon, you can check out my 2017-reads GoodReads shelf for everything I read this year.

 

LEARNED THINGS


As I said at the beginning, this was quite the year of change and growth. And there was one particular lesson that stood out to me this year.


At this time last year, I was drained. I was tired, stressed, overwhelmed. I had Big Plans, but actually tackling them just made me want to curl under the covers and watch Netflix forever.


And it hit me: I was doing too much. I had no balance. I ignored friends and family and even God in favor of trifle things like staying on top of emails. I didn’t really take any breaks in 2016. I was constantly doing something.


I’m obsessive and a bit OCD. When I have goals in mind or things to do, I can’t not do them. I can’t rest until everything is DONE. Except…everything is never done. There will always be things to do. Always emails to answer. Always blog posts to write. Always books to write and edit and research for. But that doesn’t mean we should always be doing those things. They’re good things, but there has to be balance.


So this year, I took a break. I wasn’t as rigid about publishing a blog post every single week, I didn’t force myself to have a major writing project going, I put off things in favor of hanging out with friends and family.


I learned to soak up the moments.


This life is fleeting. Friends and family aren’t always forever. And growing our relationship with God is the very reason we have breath in our lungs.


Yes, I still want to pursue a career in writing. Yes, I want to do more in 2018. Yes, my writing is important to me. But there are also other important things in life. And I don’t want to miss out on them.



This year, for the first time in a long, long time, I took a breath. I let myself relax and live. And it was like a soothing balm. I no longer feel overwhelmed and tired. I’m excited about things, I’m ready to tackle 2018.


I still fail. I still find myself saying no to spending time with family in favor of getting things done. But I’m working toward doing better.


So as we say goodbye to 2017 and hello to 2018, I want to remember. I want to remember that it’s OKAY to take breaks. It’s necessary.

But most importantly, I want to remember to soak up every single moment I’m given on this earth. To stop wasting away the days. To be grateful for every breath I take and use this little life I have as a blessing to others.


. . .

 

2017 was a pretty crazy year. But it was a good one. Possibly even a great one.


I look forward to seeing what 2018 has in store!

 

This is my last post for 2017, guys! So let’s chat about ALL the things. Did we watch any of the same movies or read any of the same books? What exciting things happened to you this year? And what are you excited about for the new year? Tell me all about it!


NOTE: Since this post came later in the week, I won’t have a post up Monday. It will be New Year’s after all! I’m going to soak up these last few days of the holidays. But I will be back on January 8th for my first 2018 post!


HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!!


55 comments:

  1. Hey, even if you weren't able to work on 'big' writing projects, what you accomplished is pretty epic! Congrats to a great year! I hope you can tackle your future plans with determination!

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    1. That's so encouraging of you to say. I think I needed that reminder. (Sometimes I put a leetle too much pressure on myself. Eheh.) Thank you so much!

      I hope your 2018 is an amazing one! <3

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  2. I LOVE THIS POST! *tackle-hugs it* So much went down this year! :O I don't know what even happened in my OWN life, as I still need to do a wrapup post which I need to get on, but it was so fun to read about what was up with you! :)

    HURRAY FOR SCRIVENER AND A SHORT STORY AND WRITING ALL OF THE NETHER ISLE! You definitely did a ton of writing this year, *I* think, and I'm so happy you're feeling at a better place! :) (FYI, You wrote over 120K words and I wrote like 85K so even though I was writing all year, you still did more, because TAKING BREAKS IS GOOD! XD) Anyway, so happy for your writing adventures! ^_^ (And I LOVED When Spring Blooms and cannot WAIT for TNI!!! :D)

    *huggles all your posts*

    I... haven't seen any of those movies except Thor 3. O_O CLEARLY I MUST GET ON THIS. XD

    I'm sorry your reading year wasn't as great, BUT you did read 30 which is an accomplishment, and I'm so glad you had some new favorites! :D *needs to read Ilyon Chronicles and Nimona*

    The Sentinel books and Reluctant Godfather and ESPECIALLY BEAUMONT AND BEASLEY made my top-list of the year too! Which I must post soon. I read so many good books this year, and I'm so happy we share some favorites!! ^_^ (But Stroke of Eleven though!!!! *shrieking*)

    Your thoughts are always so inspiring! I'm SO glad you're learning to balance things and live life to the fullest! You inspire me, and all of us, I'm sure! ^_^

    HAPPY NEW YEAR, DEAREST LAURI!!! I hope you havE the most amazing one and coming year of all time! <33333333333

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    1. AWWW! I'M GLAD! ^_^
      I know, right??? O_O I had to use a LOT of brainpower to remember the highlights from the year because it's all just a BLUR. It's so crazy! (And that'd be so wonderful if you did a wrap-up post! :D)

      *HUGS* THANK YOU! You kept me going so much this year. Your encouragement means the world to me! And you did AWESOME with writing this year, and writing a little here and there and spreading it out is probably healthier than throwing out over 100k words in one month. O_O Eheheheh. Maybe next year I can spread things out a little better. XD BUT THANK YOU, DEAR!

      That's okay you didn't see all those movies! Disney and Marvel were on a movie-making roll this year! It was hard to keep up. o.o Like I said, there were a bunch I missed myself. Sometimes there's just not time for all these things!

      Yeah, I don't know what it was about this year. I think I tried a bunch of new stuff instead of sticking to books I KNOW I'll like and it didn't work out very well. Heh. Maybe 2018 will prove to be a better reading year. But I'm still ecstatic about the books I DID discover this year. Like BEAUMONT AND BEASLEY! :D I love how we have the same books on the top of our lists. Reading Twins! I can't wait to see your list of favorites! :D (YESSS. *shrieks with you*)

      D'AWWWW! That is so sweet! These are things I'm learning...not perfected AT ALL. But God is trying to pound these things into my thick skull. ;D

      HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU TO, MY CELTINATOR! YOU AS WELL!!!! <3333333333

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  3. CHRISTINE DID A YEARLY WRAP-UP, YAY! I'm so excited to read this! And I'm so, so glad that 2017 was kinder to you than 2016 was. You needed it! <3

    Congrats to the graduates in your life! Such milestones. ^_^ And if I neglected to wish you a happy 25th earlier...happy birthday! I'm right behind ya, Miss Adult. ;) I know what you mean, though--technically 24 and 25 are both adult. But now you're officially in your mid-twenties, and somehow that just sounds different? XD

    Even if it was a slower year writing-wise, I still think it was productive in some of the ways it matters most! You took a much-needed break and worked through some things, which is HEALTHY and GOOD and will pay off hugely down the road. We can't just keep pushing ourselves nonstop and expect to produce! (Something I'm learning and relearning. *cough*) So I admire your choice to sit back and breathe and experience life.
    And you still got some major writing done! Your short story, prepping Burning Thorns, writing The Nether Isle--that's nothing to sniff at! :D

    Oh, I loved that you brought up blogging! Because I have noticed something's changed here in the past year! I've loved Musings of an Elf ever since discovering it/you (when WAS that, even?? I can't remember...), but everything is just improving and I love it even more! Also your deep posts = <3333 (But also your silly posts, because you never fail to make me laugh!)

    Haha, it's funny that we're *not* braintwinning in regards to the B&B movie and GotG2... Because I (mostly) loved the former and enjoyed (but didn't adore) the latter? >.< But HOMECOMING MY HEART!

    I don't really watch cartoons much, but Gravity Falls sounds interesting for sure! And Stranger Things--I've been soooo curious, but also wary because it looks dark? And yet I do love dark--ish things a lot of the time, so IDEK what I think at this point. XD But you liked it? I'm even more curious now!

    Don't feel bad for reading less than the 100s of books others do! I myself am on my 40th book for the year. Also not stellar, compared to some past years--but that was in high school, when life was MUCH less full. XD

    Oh, oh, I neeeeed to try the Ilyon Chronicles sometime! And don't mind me, I'm just adding Ella Enchanted to the humongous pile of books I'd like to reread... *ducks falling books* I totally get that feeling of wishing you'd grown up with a certain book! And The Beast of Talesend!!!! <333333 For some reason I didn't 100% click with the first book--I think part of it was my own skepticism of indie books, sowwy--but after the sequel I am so hooked. I NEED THE STROKE OF ELEVEN POSTHASTE. And it looks like there's some short side stories out as well?? Like a Peter Pan one and a Christmas one and one about Cordelia? They've been flooding Goodreads and I am desperate for them all!

    Wow. I completely love the lessons you learned on balance this year. Oddly enough, although 2017 was one of my busiest years ever (kind of including the second half of 2016 as well), I learned valuable lessons about the very same thing. I'm still terrible at it half the time. I still overwork myself and then find myself needing to shut everything out in order to recharge. But I'm getting better at LETTING myself recharge, at recognizing what drains me and what fills me and refusing to feel guilty about it. But I won't ramble too much about this just yet, because I have some thoughts to muse over before 2018 begins, and methinks it will work itself into a blog post. ;)

    Anyway, I'm so happy that 2017 was a good year! *hugs* It makes my heart glad. Here's to a new year of balance, adventure, and epic writing things! :D

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    1. *BEAMS* THANKS! It makes me happy you liked my wrap-up! It was a fun post to do! And yes, 2017 was a pretty fabulous year! ^_^

      All these graduates...it makes my heart swell. I'm so proud of all my peeps. :') And that includes YOU and your graduating success this year as well!
      AWWW! THANK YOU! Yep, I'm practically a granny now. ;D But YES, you said it perfectly. Being here in the precise mid-twenties instead of the lower end of the twenties just feels so old. *shakes head*

      AWK. TRACEY. I think I needed those exact words. Thank you for that reminder! I am mostly fine with not writing much this year, and I know it was necessary, but there's still a tiiiiny part of my brain that occasionally pops up and thinks, "WHY DID I MAKE NO PROGRESS ON WRITING THIS YEAR???" And I have to stuff it back down and tell it to hush. XD Because you're right, we can't keep pushing ourselves. I'll probably get MORE done in the end because I've allowed myself to reevaluate things and refuel. You're always so encouraging! *HUGS*

      Oh my goodness, that is so nice of you to say! And very encouraging because I was HOPING my blog was improving, and I have been putting a LOT of work into it, but I wasn't sure if it actually WAS, ya know? But having a reader themselves notice it tells me I'm going in the right direction. SO THANK YOU! This makes me happy!

      That is very strange! It's so rare we have differing opinions on these things! Lol. But yes, Homecoming was precious! <3

      I honestly am not a huge cartoon watcher myself. BUT TRACEY. You need to try Gravity Falls. I feel like you and all your siblings would get a kick out of it. I honestly did NOT think I would like it, but it sucked me right in. It's just very surprising high quality.
      As far as Stranger Things, it's an amazingly written show buuut yeah, it's dark. It's basically horror, which is usually NOT my thing, but somehow this one doesn't feel HEAVY on the horror. More like light horror? With some really loveable characters and totally amazing twists. So...I DON'T KNOW. I never know if to suggest it to people, because it CAN be disturbing, but at the same time it's just really, really engaging. It DOES have a fair amount of language though, and episode...2? I think it is had a couple of meh scenes. It seems like that was the only episode that had particularly bad stuff though (besides all the language). Don't know if that helped you decide to watch it or not. I probably just confused you more. XD

      I fear we may just have to accept that with adulthood comes less reading time. Such is life. *sniff, sniff*

      YES YOU DO. It's such a good series. It seems JUST up your alley!
      I FEEL YOU. I have sooo many books I need to read, but then there's a ton I want to REREAD and I don't know how to balance them all. #BookwormProbs XD
      YES YOU NEED THE STROKE OF ELEVEN. It gets MUCH deeper and twisty and I think you'll looooove it! AND YES. There are some short stories. I haven't read the Christmas one yet, but the others are so, so, SOOO good! IT'S ALL JUST SO GOOD. *huggles stories and characters*

      That is so amazing how God has been teaching us both some of the same things. And I'm with you, I still fail soooo much, but I, too, think I'm getting better at unplugging when I need to. Hopefully I can put some of this into practice when I REALLY get back into the writing world come the new year. XD But EEP. I'd looooooove a post about your thoughts on all this. YES PLEASE! :D :D :D

      Thank you so much, Tracey! You are such a blessing in my life. I can't wait to see what 2018 brings for the both of us! <3333

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  4. This was a fun post to read!
    I boycotted the second Guardians of the Galaxy because I was terrified of my characters getting ruined. But everything I hear about it is great, so I've been thinking I should try it. And I would recommend Wonder Woman, FYI.
    I'm one of those newer readers, and your blog has been super fun. =)

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    1. Thank you! I'm happy you enjoyed all my rambles! Haha.

      I understand your concern! Sequels always make me so nervous, because soooo many times they just RUIN the characters and things. But, to me anyway, the second Guardians of the Galaxy movie only made the characters even MORE loveable! I personally thought it was all amazingly done.
      And Wonder Woman, YES. I NEED TO SEE IT. I've only heard good things. So that's gotta happen! *nods*

      OH. Welcome to my blog! *gives you welcome cookies* You are so sweet to say that. Thank you! ^_^

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  5. Ah yes-what a great batch of movies! Thor 3 was probably my favorite. I feel the same way that you do about B&B, though. I could write a post on why it didn't win me over, but I think it comes down to the fact that the new Cinderella made me feel like a 5 year old again, whereas during Beauty and the Beast I never quite forget that I was an adult.

    And Stranger Things is SO GOOD. I think the second season is even better than the first, although I wish it didn't have so much language in it. I don't mind the creepiness, but swearing bothers me.

    annnd I really need to read the Beaumont and Beasley series. It's one of my reading goals for 2018 :D

    Speaking of 2018, Happy (early) New Year! Hopefully it will be an even better one than 2017.

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    1. It was definitely a good year of movies! And yessss! Thor 3 was so amazing!
      I'm glad I'm not alone! Because I was wondering if I was the only one that felt this way about B&B. Everyone seemed to LOVE it, and I'm just over here being grumpy about it. XD But YESSS. YOU NAILED IT. :O That's it! Cinderella was so magical. But B&B just..didn't make me FEEL. Anything really. I honest to goodness didn't even CARE if Belle and the Beast got together. The characters weren't doing it for me. I don't know. Something was off. Ah well, I'll just enjoy the Cinderella movie and move on with life. XD

      YES. I can't believe I STILL haven't watched the second season. Hearing it's even better than the first makes me want to watch it even MORE. But ugh, yes. I can deal with gore, but pleeease calm down with the language. It reeeeally upsets me how even the CHILDREN are cursing up a storm. It's so unnecessary. >.>

      YES YOU DO! :D I think you'll loooooove those books!

      Awww! Thanks, Hayden! HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU TOOO! <333

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  6. What a wonderful wrap-up post, Christine!!! So many things happened this year that I don't even think that I could put all of them in as orderly as you did :).

    I had a rather slow writing year too....maybe 2018 will be better.

    I really want to check out the Ilyon Chronicles and the Beaumont books too - I've been hearing a lot of good things about them!!!

    And I so still need to see Spiderman Homecoming....

    Happy New Year!!

    Catherine
    catherinesrebellingmuse.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you! ^_^
      Oh man, it took a looooot of thought and brainpower and looking back over things to remember the highlights of the year. And I'm sure I forgot to add a bunch of stuff. XD It's VERY hard to wrap-up a whole YEAR in one post. Lol.

      Aw man, you too? I guess these years just happen. But yes, 2018 is a fresh start! :D

      YOU SHOOOOULD! Both of those series are SPECTACULAR. I'm absolutely hooked on them!

      Homecoming was such a good film! I like some other Marvel movies better, but it was still a fantastic one!

      Happy New Year to you toooo! I hope yours is a beautiful one! <3

      Delete
  7. First of all, I just wanted to say that I love, love, love your wrap-up posts! I may not have been around here for long, but I can see that your energy really comes through in your writing, and it makes your posts really fun to read. Anyhoo, I read the Ilyon Chronicles this year (Whoohoo!) and watched Gravity Falls. I meant to read/watch at least five of the others, but . . . life. Seriously, it's so in the way. :D However, I'm totally checking out Sentinel and the Beaumont series. Thanks for giving me ideas! Hope you have an absolutely wonderful 2018! (Oh, and that gif? PERFECT. That is what New Year's fireworks should be. #goals)

    Brianna | noendofbooks.blogspot.com

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    1. AWK. THANK YOU!!! I actually hardly EVER do wrap-up posts. But they're a lot of fun. I might should try to do them more!

      *clutches heart* THAT IS SO NICE OF YOU TO SAY! It thrills me to hear my rambles are fun to read! Hehe. Thank you!

      You've read the Ilyon Chronicles? FUNNNN! Aren't they just such great books? And GRAVITY FALLS. UGH. I love that show so much! <3 And I understand. I have a huuuuuuge list of things I want/need to read and watch and hardly ever make progress on it. Doesn't life know we need more time to geek out over things??? ;D But YES. The Sentinel trilogy and Beaumont and Beasley books are sooo worth the read! I love them so much! *huggles books* I'm always happy yo give bookish suggestions! ^_^

      Thanks so much! You as well! (Hehehe. Gandalf fireworks are absolutely #goals!)

      Delete
  8. Happy New Year, Christine! ( I love how you ended this post with some of Gandalf's fireworks!)
    I'm pleased to hear 2017 was such a good year for you.
    Unfortunately, Nimona is the only book on this list that I've read. I hope to remedy that, someday.

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    1. Happy New Year to you as well!!! (Well, we can't have fireworks without Gandalf, amiright? ;D)
      It was definitely a good year and I look forward to 2018!
      That's okay! You'd be surprised at how many books I haven't gotten around to reading. Time needs to slow down so we can get more reading done! Lol.

      I hope you have an absolutely fantastic new year, Blue! ^_^

      Delete
  9. Congratz to your sister and friend! It's been a wonderful year, for sure! My beautiful little cousin Natane was born, my other cousin Mila turned ONE, and my cousin Noah saved his family from a fire! (Plus a thousand other things happened, but those are some of the best!) I think 2018 is going to be a good year. <3
    OH MY GOODNESS! "Spiderman: Homecoming" is one of the BEST movies EVER!!! Everyone I talk to thinks the first spiderman was the best, but Tom Holland is my favorite!

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    1. Thanks! I'm so proud of them. ^_^

      WOW. It looks like you've definitely had QUITE the year. And wait, your cousin saved his family from a FIRE??? :O Oh my goodness. WHOA. Good gracious. It sounds like quite a year indeed. Looks like God has been with you all this year for sure!

      Homecoming was a very good movie, yes! :D And Tom Holland is my FAAAAAVE! He plays the PERFECT Spider-Man!

      I hope you have the most amazing 2018! Happy New Year! <333

      Delete
    2. You're welcome!
      Yeah! On my birthday. We got a call saying that Noah and his girlfriend Destiny had been driving to a friend's house when Noah suddenly felt like he should go home. So he and Destiny drove home to find that something on the stove had caught fire! Noah managed to put it out, also managing to get his girlfriend's family and his baby (Mila) out of the house, but he got TERRIBLE burns on his arms and legs from the oil. He was in the hospital for quite a while. He's still getting over the burns, but he's doing a WHOLE lot better, and his baby and family are alright.
      I'm so proud of him!

      I love it! It is definitely the best.

      Happy New Year to you, too!

      Delete
    3. Oh my goodness! What an inspirational story! Wow. You SHOULD be proud of him. That is just...wow! I am in how! And how amazing he got a feeling that he should go home. Proof of God's grace right there! I'm so sorry he got burned really bad, but thank God he's getting better and everyone came out all right!

      Delete
    4. We're all very proud of him. If he hadn't done what he knew God was telling him to do, his daughter and girlfriend's family would be dead. <3 God is good!

      Delete
  10. I HAVEN'T COMMENTED ON HERE IN SO LONG!!! THIS POST IS AMAZING!!!

    Gravity Falls is hilarious! If you like cartoons and have netflix, and if you like Toothless or anything How to Train Your Dragon, I definitely suggest Dragons: Race to the Edge. It's one of my favorites!!

    This post is just epic, honestly. And I know what you mean by adulting. I mean, I am halfway through 18, but it seems like its unbelievable. XD

    ~Ivie
    iviewrites.blogspot.com

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    1. HIIIIIII! *GLOMPS* Your comment is making me smile!

      YESSSH. I'm so obsessed with it now! And How to Train Your Dragon is like one of my top, TOP favorite movies EVER. I have been wanting to try the shows for aaaages, but it seems like they keep making them and I wasn't sure where to even START. Lol. BUT THANK YOU FOR THE RECOMMENDATION. I absolutely need to give that a try! :D

      Awwww! It makes me happy you enjoyed it! Haha, yes. Adulthood just comes on us so FAST and it's just like, "Wait, when did I become an ADULT???" It's so crazy. XD

      I hope you have a very happy New Year! <3

      Delete
  11. Ella Enchanted is one of my top-ever favorite books! The Beaumont and Beasley series sounds so intriguing! I'll have to check those out! (Also literally everyone has been talking about Stranger Things and I may or may not have to check that out in 2018)

    Happy 2018, Christine!

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    1. IT WAS SO GOOD. I canNOT believe I waited so long to read it!

      If you loved Ella Enchanted I think you'd also love the Beaumont and Beasley books. They are so, so, SOOO good!

      Stranger Things is also spectacular. Now it DOES have way more language than I like and it CAN be pretty icky and creepy, but it's very engaging!

      You as well! Happy New Year! :D

      Delete
  12. I also hopped on the Stranger Things bandwagon this year and truly enjoyed it. The second season is so good! Steve turns into an amazing character.

    I might have to check out the Sentinel series. It looks intriguing!

    Happy new year!

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    1. So fun! And I'm glad I'm not the only one who's late to the party. XD But EEP. Now I want to watch season 2 even more. I must get on that!

      Oooh yes. They're very unique books. I love 'em!

      Happy New Year to you as well! :D

      Delete
  13. Wow! It seems you had a BLAST this year! So happy for you, m'dear! I loved reading this wrap-up. The movies, the lifey things, the bloggy things, and the BOOKS. I LOVE this blog. I JUST. LOVE. *starry eyes*

    WHAT?? You hadn't EVER read Ella Enchanted??? Gail Carson Levine's faerietales have always been at the top of my faves! Have you read Fairest yet? If not, you'd probably like that one too -- it's a unique take on Snow White. :]

    AGH!! I still haven't gotten me hands on Sentinel yet! I remember you mentioning it before (I think?) and I've seen it around. Looks so good!

    I COMPLETELY understand about B&tB. I agree with you, I think they could've chosen a better girl for Belle. But in its own way, I still enjoyed the film. The SONGS! And I really liked how they fleshed out her background with her father and mother (tho it was so heartbreaking *cries buckets*). Could've definitely done without the innuendo of Gaston and LeFou... Other than that, the costumes were AMAZE and "Evermore" will forever be (one of) my favorite songs.

    Happy New Year, dear Lauri!! Best wishes to you and yours for this year of 2018. Bado go Eru. *^ - ^*

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    1. It was a pretty fantastic year! ^_^ And EEP. GIRL. I'm so happy you enjoyed this post. It was a lot of fun to put together! (Even if I had to squeeze my brain cells to actually REMEMBER everything that happened this year. XD)

      I KNOW RIGHT????? It's so crazy! BUT I LOVED IT SO MUCH! I muuust read more of her books. But I HAVE read Fairest, yes! I loved the concept but, unfortunately, the characters weren't doing it for me. I don't know, I couldn't really get into them. Sadness. :(

      I've probably talked about Sentinel a lot around here, yes. XD BUT YES YOU NEED IT. It's suuuch a unique book! I've literally never read ANYTHING like it!

      I knew we were twins! I've been feeling all alone in this because it seems like everyone loved it. But I just...didn't. There WERE good things. The songs were lovely, the visuals were stunning. I think just Belle and the Beast weren't...right somehow. I don't know. I'm probably just picky. XD But yes, we won't even talk about the whole thing with LeFou. Ugh. I DID love the backstories in it though, I agree! Seeing hints of both Belle's and the Beast's backstories really added a whole new depth the animated movie didn't have. So that was good! It wasn't a BAD movie, it just wasn't what I hoped it to be I guess. Ah well, there are other movies in the world! Lol.

      HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU TOOOO!!! Thank you, my dear! I hope your 2018 is blessed! <3

      Delete
    2. Haha! I'm finding more and more lately that I must write EVERYTHING down or I will forget... So I COMPLETELY understand about squeezing brain cells! ;D

      YES. And I agree. It's been quite a while since I've read Fairest, and while I don't recall all that much about the characters, I just remember the plot and idea behind the story. It was just so DIFFERENT. What about The Two Princesses of Bamarre?? That's IS a favorite of mine (although again, I haven't read in FOREVER), and I just recently found out she has a sequel to it!

      Awesome. Hopefully, that will be one I can read this year. :]

      Haha! Yes! Kindred spirits. *^-^* I TOTALLY agree. The backstories definitely added new depth to the original animated film. Didja know Disney is adding a live-action version of Aladdin?? And I've heard rumors about The Lion King as well! O_O

      Thanks you, dear Lauri! <3

      Delete
    3. SAAAME! Except I'm irresponsible and DON'T take the time to write it down so...I basically forget everything. XD

      I did like the uniqueness of Fairest! It was a wonderful idea and I really like many aspects of it, the characters just annoyed me for some reason? It's sad. :( I haven't read The Two Princesses of Bamarre but I own it and have been told by another person I need to read it so YES. That's gotta happen! :D

      Yay!

      I did hear they were doing Aladdin! That's exciting! I have not heard about The Lion King though. Wow. That'll be...interesting. o.O Though The Jungle Book turned out well, so I guess the Lion King could work! We shall see! I just love how they're making live action movies of all their animated classics. It's so fun!

      <333

      Delete
  14. I'm so happy you're watching Stranger Things! I love that show so much. It sounds like 2017 was a great year for you! Here's to 2018!

    storitorigrace.blogspot.com

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    1. It's such an epic show! I've GOT to find time to watch the 2nd season!

      It was a pretty great year. I'm looking forward to this new year and all the adventures it has in store. Happy New Year! <3

      Delete
  15. Happy 2018, Christine!

    Btw, I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt that way about BatB. "Which I…wasn’t wild about and it makes me weep. I HAD SUCH HIGH EXPECTATIONS. B&B is my favorite fairytale! The Disney classic animated movie is my childhood! All the previous live action remakes (Cinderella, Maleficent, etc.) were beyond perfect! I was just positive this one would be spectacular. But…no. It wasn’t a bad movie. It just didn’t capture that B&B magic for me. Emma Watson just wasn’t working as my dear Belle. *ducks from rotten tomatoes* I DON’T KNOW. I didn’t hate it, but it was just kinda…meh." >>MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY. 100% agree. So thank you. I felt so alone before! *sobs*

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    1. HAPPY 2018 TO YOU AS WELL!!! *shoots fireworks*

      Seriously? :O TWIN! I FELT ALONE TOO. It seems like everyone just raved over it and I was sitting here all alone being grumpy about it. XD It feels good to know someone else felt the same way! We'll just be grumpy about it together. *grins*

      I do hope your year is an absolutely amazing one! <3

      Delete
  16. I NEED SCRIVENER IN MY LIFE. I've heard it's sooooo helpful, and I'm an extreme perfectionist, so it would be perfect! XD

    MARVEL IS THE BEST! *high-fives* This was a SUPER AWESOME YEAR for Marvel!! Thor Ragnarok was probably my favorite, but Spiderman and Guardians were both SO GOOD TOO. All the banter makes me so happy. *quietly huddles in a corner, waiting for Infinity War* :D

    ISN'T ELLA ENCHANTED THE BEST?? :D And I liked Nimona too! It was a bit strange, I agree, but it was really fun! ^_^

    I feel the same way about doing too much this year. I have mild OCD, and I'm really hard on myself. I thought I could do everything, and do it perfectly. But as the year came to a close and I was attempting NaNo, I just knew I needed to stop. I was so stressed out and I was pressuring myself so much. It wasn't good. :P You are totally right. It's not bad, it's just finding that balance that's so important. ^_^

    I hope you have a fantabulous 2018, Christine!

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    1. Oh my goodness, if you're a perfectionist you'll LOVE IT! It's soooooo good for us organized-obsessed people! Hehe. It makes me WANT to go work on my stories, because it's all so setup nicely! I'm obsessed!

      MARVEL. YESSSSH. *high-fives back* Those movies are seriously the best! And it was suuuch a good Marvel year! I'm so, so, sooo pumped for Infinity War. (And also nervous because what are they gonna do to our babies??? D:)

      I LOVED IT SO MUCH! It just made me happy! I cannot believe I never read it before. I must read more of her books!
      I totally loved the concept of Nimona! Having all the fantasy things with modern technology was a blast. It was so unique!

      Oh man, I 100% get you there! I have mild OCD too! And I just get so obsessive with reaching my goals, and become all upset if I don't do everything I set out to do. I forget to just breathe and go with the flow and actually enjoy life, ya know? It sounds like you made the very healthy decision to stop! That's bravery right there, learning when to stop and take care of ourselves. *nods* Yes, that balance is the most important thing! I feel like I'll be searching for that perfect balance forever. Lol!

      YOU TOO! I do hope it's a beautiful year for you! <3

      Delete
  17. Yay! You watched Stranger Things, it's one of my favorites! Well basically all the shows you posted are my favorites. Great post, I loved hearing about your year.
    I get the OCD thing, I am constantly trying to stay on top of everything and something always suffers. Glad you can let yourself take a break, you deserve it. You do alot, more then you probably realize. You have been a huge blessing in my life this year er last year XD

    You are just such a lovely person, and I hope you have your best year yet!

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    1. IT'S SO GOOD! I've got to get around to watching season 2! And thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed all my rambles. Hehe. ^_^

      Yessss! That's precisely me. I literally have to FORCE myself to chill and it's ridiculous. Gotta find that balance! XD

      Awwww, SKYE! You have been a blessing to ME! I'm so glad we know each other. *HUGS*

      YOU ARE JUST PRECIOUS! Thank you! I hope your 2018 is an absolutely beautiful one! <3

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  18. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AS WELL!!! :D

    I feel that if I wrote out a summary of my 2017, it would also contain a great deal of Marvel. I got to watch so many Marvel movies for the first time last year... it was awesome!

    I'm so happy to find another Sentinel trilogy fan! I actually got to beta-read the second edition of Arbiter, and I've applied to beta-read Sage, also. Jamie Foley is so much fun to interact with! (Btw, who's your favorite character? Mine is Jet.) :)

    I hope you have a wonderful 2018! :)

    ~Lizzy

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    1. HAPPY NEW YEAR! ^_^

      Woot!!! Huzzah for Marvel! Aren't those movies just the greatest? My brother and I always joke that they ruin other movies because they're so well done. XD

      YOU'VE READ THE SENTINEL BOOKS? AAAAHHHHH! *high-fives* They are just so, so, sooo good! I am DYING for Sage to come out! *flails* And my favorite character is absolutely Jet! Hands down. Though, really, they're ALL such great characters!

      You as well! <333

      Delete
  19. “curls into happy, grinning, wriggling ball” AWWW – Christine – thank you so much… <3 <3 I’m so happy you enjoyed The Reluctant Godfather – and I count the fact that it sparked our friendship one of the very best things about it!

    I loved this post! Congratulations to your sister and to you!

    I’ve heard so much about Scrivener and have considered getting it but wondered if I would spend so much time fiddling with it I wouldn’t actually, you know, write. :P

    I just read your Extroverted Writer post – and OMW – HILARIOUS AND TRUE. “high fives a fellow extroverted writer” GOSH – it was like you were describing me – how I feel about people, the chameleon mode – EXACTLY what I do and feel.

    And I’ve read your Cinderella post and loved it – and AHH – gotta read all these posts because I missed some of them and I love every one of your posts.

    And HIGH FIVE to corny animated kid shows – I still watch ‘em. :D

    I’m so glad to about what you shared about finding balance – it’s something I’m always struggling with because I’m a ENFJ to and rather OCB myself…and say no to spending time with my family in favor of getting things done, more than once. #shame

    Praise God for His grace that He’s still working with us . . . I pray that we both have balance in the New Year – full of accomplishments, but also full of peace and focus on the things that matter! I know MOI needs it…. :)

    BEAUTIFUL BLOG POST AS ALWAYS!! “eats up all your blog posts”


    <3 Alli




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    1. YOU PRECIOUS BEAN! <3 The Reluctant Godfather was just the BEST. And it's been such a joy getting to know you!

      Thank you! :D

      SCRIVENER IS AMAZIIIING. But I do understand your concerns. It definitely took some time to get accustomed to it. I had to set out time to go through the tutorial and poke around. But it was so, SO worth it! I do not regret the time it took at all, because it'll help in the long run!

      MORE PROOF WE'RE ACTUALLY TWINS. And I'm so happy you enjoyed it! I'd hope it'd be relatable to all my fellow extroverted writers. Our life is a strange one indeed. XD

      YOU ARE JUST SO SWEET AND ENCOURAGING. Thank you! <333

      Huzzah! I refuse to ever grow up. There's way too much awesome stuff produced for the younger crowd. ;D

      Same, same, saaame! I constantly put my family on the back burner in favor of work that could totally be done later. It's such a hard thing for me and I must do better! (But seriously, were we separated at birth? It's uncanny how much we're the same person!)

      Amen to that! He is so gracious and patient. And thank you! Those are the exact things I hope to achieve this year--balance, peace, and focus.

      YOU'RE A JEWEL, ALLI! This whole comment lit up my day! <333

      Delete
    2. “squirms and grins and melts” <3 Thank you, Christine!

      Wow – it DOES look amazing – I guess I need to seriously consider setting some time aside to look into that!

      If we’re twins – we must be triplets! I have a twin sister – but she’s INTP. :D

      I DID – it was like you were writing me – IT WAS SO ASTUTE AND GOOD and you articulated so much of myself. The Chameleon thing? I do that all the time. Just all of it was sooo good. I’m going to show it to some introverted writers to try to explain what goes on in my head. :P As you said…a strange life indeed!

      AWW – YOU ARE, Christine – you are the sweetest, most precious thing! <3

      High five! All the awesome stuff should not be relegated or hogged by the younger crowd – we want to have fun too! :)

      I know exactly what you are saying! I love them to pieces and they’re my favorite people but I have a hard time letting go of schedules, work and doing, doing, doing. But I know we can both do better with God’s help!

      I KNOW, SERIOUSLY? We must be related somehow… :P

      He is – ALWAYS. I will be praying that you achieve those exact three things!

      DAW – THANK YOU, DARLING CHRISTINE. That makes me very happy. :D

      Pssst – no need to respond to this comment – I have a feeling we could just keep going and going and going….


      https://media.giphy.com/media/3ohuAvJhi4rDhJRtpS/giphy.gif

      Delete
    3. (We could totally keep going and going and going. XD That gif is too accurate! I just never seem to run out of things to say. So I have to reply to at least a couple of things. ;D)

      I was thinking about us being triplets, because I remembered you had a twin. Perhaps you and I just share a brain! Tehe.

      That is just so cool you do the chameleon thing as well! Because I always feel SO weird about it. Like...can I not just be myself??? But, at the same time, it's nice being able to easily slip into a group and relate to people. I DON'T KNOW. We extroverts are weird. XD But EEP. I'm so happy you liked that post!!!

      Your sunny personality just makes my day every single time! Thank you for everything, Alli! <3

      Delete
  20. Hey, girlie! I've tagged you over at my blog: #MyFirstPostRevistited. Please don't feel obligated, but if you do it - have fun! :D

    linky: http://sarah-plainandaverage.blogspot.com/2018/01/one-good-thing-blog-tag.html

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    1. EEP. Thank you!!! I'm excited about this! :D :D :D

      Delete
  21. Oh my goodness! My sister will be graduating high school in a few months (she's also the baby of the family) and it's SO WEIRD. Like, it was weird when each of my brothers graduated but when it's the youngest sibling it's a whole new level. o_O Congrats to your sister on graduating!

    It sounds like 2017 was a good year of rest and recharging for you, and I've enjoyed hearing about your adventures over the last few months. And hurray on all your writing accomplishments! That's so cool that you made a map for your book! The more I hear about Burning Thorns the more I can't wait to see it on my bookshelves one day. ;D

    I feel like I'm the only person who hasn't watched Stranger Things yet but I am so tempted because everyone says it's amazing. I may have to put it on my list for this year!

    Ella Enchanted is soooooo good! I love that one. I still need to read Sentinel and Nimona though. The only graphic novel I've read was Wires and Nerve. Have you read it yet?

    I hope your 2018 is full of more beautiful moments and fun adventures!

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    1. Aaaahhhh, so cool! But yes, it's SO weird! It's been months and I still can't wrap my head around the fact that she's DONE. Like...wut? When did this happen??? Craziness!

      It was a very good year! ^_^ And EEP. Thank you so much! That is all so nice of you to say! It encourages me so much that people are actually interested in my story. You're too sweet! <3

      It's a really good show! A bit on the horror side and I REALLY wish they'd tone down the language. The amount of cursing just gets ridiculous and is so unnecessary. But beyond that it's very engaging!

      YESSSS! I loved that book so much! And Sentinel and Nimona are fantastic as well. I have not read Wires and Nerve but I got it for Christmas and can't waaaaaaait to dive into it! I've been dying to get my hands on it since it came out. I'M SO EXCITED!

      Thank you so much! Yours as well! <333

      Delete
  22. I loved reading this wrap-up post! 25 years old. Yep, I would say that's adult. But you don't hafta act like it per se. :)

    Spider-Man Homecoming! I wrote a whole post on this movie, cause I liked it. I agree it was slow, but I personally enjoyed that, because I think that most Marvel movies are too fast-paced with too much going on, and that's why I don't like most of them. Spider-Man is my fave. :) I think Tom Holland did a splendid job! Can't wait for the next installment.

    I agree it's totally weird when your family has been homeschooling for YEARS... and then you're not. Quite different to get used to!

    YAAAY GANDALF'S FIREWORKS. ;D

    I hope you have a lovely 2018!
    -Amaris

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    1. Awww! So happy you enjoyed it! ^_^
      Yeppp. I'm practically a grandma. ;D And I'm glad I don't have to act like an adult, because that's just not my style. *grins*

      IT WAS SUCH A GOOD MOVIE. Tom Holland is just the best Spider-Man! And you're right, things have been so fast paced lately. Not just the Marvel movies, but a LOT of things. It feels like a lot of movies miss the HEART of the story because they're too focused on all the action.

      So you understand?? It's the WEIRDEST feeling. I can't wrap my head around it!

      Always Gandalf fireworks! :D

      Thank you! You as well! <333

      Delete
  23. ACK YOUR BLOG IS SO PRETTY EVERY TIME I SEE IT I HAVE A SMALL HEART ATTACK FROM GORGEOUSNESS OVERLOAD SO WOW LIKE CAN YOU TEACH ME (jk I think I'm going to have to hire some techie person to make pretty sites for me because I am no good at it. hopefully I get rich and famous very soon.)

    (also... Emma Watson didn't seem like Belle to me either... something was just OFF. So you're not alone there. Some people on Twitter were saying Jenna Coleman would have been better and I kind of agree??)

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    1. UM EXCUSE ME WHILE I GO FLAIL HAPPILY FOREVER BECAUSE OF ALL YOUR NICENESS!!! THANK YOU! I kind of...hate blog designing. XD It gives me a headache and makes me want to cry, so I'm with you. I'd love to hire someone to do it for me whenever I change things. Lol. Why is website building so HARD?! *collapses*

      So I'm not alone?! Because so many people really loved her but...it just wasn't working for me. I 100% agree about something being off. It just didn't feel right. I don't know. BUT WAIT. People were casting Jenna Coleman? BECAUSE THAT WAS MY IDEA. :O After we saw the movie, I had the thought that Jenna Coleman would have been PERFECT. That is so weird other people were thinking the same thing. o.O If only it could have been. *sigh*

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